Recipe | Dairy-Free Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Whoopie Pies are pretty much a staple here in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. People come from all over to try Amish-made whoopie pies of all varieties. We even have a whoopie pie festival.

We are serious about our whoopie pies.

If you've never had one (you're really missing out), it's sort of hard to explain their texture and taste in a way that's not going to completely gross you out. Just trust me.

Whoopie Pies are a sandwich dessert made of two cake like rounds with a unique filling. The cakes are sort of spongy and almost sticky but still light and fluffy. There are many variations on the filling, but the "traditional" filling is very, very sweet with an almost slippy texture.

Some of the most common flavors include chocolate, pumpkin, oatmeal, and red velvet. Most of the time the filling is the same in all of them, but you will often see peanut butter paired with the chocolate or a cream cheese filling paired with the pumpkin or red velvet.

Whatever flavor you get, you will not be disappointed. Just know, they are

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the coconut oil and sugars until combined. Add in almond milk followed by eggs and vanilla. Lastly, beat in the pumpkin until smooth.

2. In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Add the dry to wet until combined. Cover and chill dough for at least 30 minutes to let it thicken.

3. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line three baking sheets with parchment paper.

4. Use a large scoop to scoop dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking, or until edges are golden. Transfer to a wire cooling rack once they are cool to the touch.

5. Meanwhile, beat together the shortening and coconut oil using a handheld mixer. Add in half of the confectioner’s sugar and mix until smooth. Mix in the vanilla and cinnamon. Add the remaining confectioner’s sugar and the soy milk. Continue mixing until smooth and there are no clumps. If it still feels runny, add a little more confectioner’s sugar until you have a good consistency.

6. Once the cakes are cool to the touch, place about ¼ cup of the filling onto the flat side of one cake and find a cake about the same size and shop and top it off, gently. Repeat with the remaining cakes. To store: wrap each whoopie pie individually with plastic wrap and store in a container or large freezer bag. These do freeze well if you wrap them in plastic first. If you plan on eating them within 24 hours, there is no need to wrap them in plastic.